Best Friends Stick Together
by gaygaygaygaygay0
Summary: Mikasa and Eren were Armin's best friends- too bad they were a little dead. De-anon.


Writing gets really sloppy about half-way through.  
******..**

It had been a tragedy. A young girl (believed to be the last of the orientals) and boy were viciously murdered; no one knew much of what happened. Grisha- the boys father- had returned from his trip son-less, and quickly gathered his wife and moved. Most people didn't believe word-of-mouth, but when they saw Carla hugging her son's belonging and sobbing loudly all doubts were erased.

Armin watched the scene with a bit of fascination- he had always wanted to befriend the Jäger boy, but had been too afraid. He figured he would have plenty of time now. The boy was currently trying anything to get his mother's attention, crying, knocking over crates, but she continually ignored him. Armin was too far away to hear exactly what he was yelling, but it wasn't hard to figure out. The Doctor quickly collected his wife and brought her to the carriage, Eren following. Once she was inside, Eren stopped and looked at the horses. They were wildly kicking and screeching, causing people who tried to ignore the Jägers to sneak a couple glances. Armin crept closer and now was about 10 or so feet away from the carriage. He could now hear Eren perfectly, and felt his heart drop.

"Mom? MOM? DAD? Where are you guys going? Why are we moving why won't you let me on? DAD? Dad please look at me you haven't looked at me in weeks!" The ground shook slightly below Eren as he cried. Grisha shot a harsh look at the boy, causing him to freeze. Hastily he grabbed a charm that was dangling from his neck, ripped it off and threw it on the ground. Eren dropped to his knees; green eyes watching as Grisha boarded the carriage and left.

Pedestrians watched the carriage ride off, mummers of "poor family" and "losing a son like that; just terrible" falling from their lips. Eren ignored them and tried desperately to grab the charm on the ground. He continued his blacked-out state until a pale hand grabbed it for him. Green eyes met blue and Eren shuddered Armin tried handing him the necklace, but he shook his head and trained his eyes to the ground.

"...My name is Armin" the blond said, tying the charm around his neck.

Eren looked up and then down again, "My name's Eren, and she's," Eren pointed to a girl standing next to him. Armin jumped back a little, how had he not noticed her before?!

"Her name's Mikasa." milky hands tightened the scarf around her neck while Armin studied her.

**..**

The trio had become fast friends, although to most people it would seem Armin was alone, he never felt it. Eren stayed in denial about his death (or "condition" as Mikasa liked to call it), continually grumbling about his family leaving him. The boy always followed Armin without complaint, though. It didn't take long for Armin to realize Eren was stuck to his necklace and was forced to follow it.

After the two had joined his side, Armin started researching ghosts. He had always been able to see them, but they never truly caught his interest until that day. Classifying Eren had been extraordinarily easy, he was a textbook poltergeist. One time Armin got in an argument with his parents, Eren had gotten so heated he sent all the spices flying off the shelves and shattered three lanterns. After that, Armin had been extra careful to leave the necklace upstairs whenever his parents called him down for a "talk". Mikasa on the other hand, Armin wasn't too sure what she was. Sometimes she would stick only to Eren's side, and if he left the necklace he left the girl. But sometimes she would follow Armin around, mumbling that he wasn't safe going out alone. Armin finally concluded she was just a restless spirit, stuck to this world until she fulfilled her duty.

It was another one of those times, with just him and Mikasa. Armin had attracted the attention of the local bullies. He supposed they felt pity on him before, what was the point of beating on someone who had no friends? But once he started talking to himself (well, he was actually talking to Mikasa and Eren but no one would believe him), they started beating on him mercilessly. It probably would've been better for the bullies if they had just left him alone, Eren was ruthless. He one time sent the larger one through a wall, and despite his claims Armin knew it was no freak accident. Mikasa wasn't much better, she would often knock them over and tie their shoelaces together. Still, Mikasa was the lesser of two evils. Sending people through walls and crates flying was bound to attract attention.

So, Eren was left behind today. It really was for the best, Armin was just picking up some ingredients for tonight's dinner. The bullies gave him some shit, but his "haunted"  
status kept them from trying anything stupid. Armin and Mikasa took a leisurely pace on their way back to the house. Recently, the group had discovered a mutual want of visiting the outside world. Armin had boldly declared he was going to join the scouting legion, much to his parents displeasure. But the look on Eren's face when he said that had been priceless, Armin doesn't think he'd seen the boy so happy since... well ever. Eren managed to not even throw _one_ thing off the shelf during the argument that erupted afterwards.

Mikasa, well Mikasa just wanted to go where ever Eren went, and if that meant outside the wall, then that meant outside the wall. She was worried for Armin though (although she was pretty sure if he died then he would be a ghost just like them. Maybe working together they could carry Eren's necklace?), but even she couldn't hide the glimmer in her eyes when Armin talked about giant pyramids and seas of sand. The three had agreed that Armin would join the scouting legion, and the two ghosts would follow. If they kept Armin safe, then the world was theirs to take. (Mikasa still kept her quiet wish of death a secret. They could go anywhere with nothing holding them back. Everything would just be easier if Eren could move where he pleased.)

Mikasa was interrupted from her thoughts by a large explosion. The aftershock sent Armin and the groceries flying.

"W-What was that?!" Armin jumped up and ran back to the market place. Mikasa followed closely and would've bumped into Armin when he stopped- if she could've. Armin's eyes were locked on the wall, "H-How?" Mikasa looked up at the wall and figured her wish just might come true.

But it didn't. After the giant's first kick Armin was running back to his house, screaming about Eren's necklace. Mikasa followed silently, feeling almost as numb as the day she killed herself. Armin burst into his house and ran upstairs; his parents had tried to grab him- to drag him to safety but Mikasa pushed them off. Eren was sitting in Armin's room, panicking. The blond boy threw on the necklace, ignoring Eren's questions and demands.

Later on the boat, the three watched spirits float into the sky, and Eren vowed bitterly he would avenge humanity.

Armin never took off Eren's necklace again.

**..**

"Why don't you ever sleep?" This question had caught Mikasa off guard. She was watching the various boys of 104 sleep, when Armin suddenly spoke up. "I mean, ever since Eren accepted he was dead, he goes into his necklace at night. I know you can sleep... or a ghost's equivalent to sleep... why don't you?"

Mikasa silently tightened her scarf, and chose her words carefully, "Did you know... ghosts can exchange items with each other?" Armin's eyes flashed with curiosity, but he smartly chose not to voice this, "We also retain the wounds that kill us- assuming we were killed." Hands tightened around the red scarf, drawing Armin's eyes. This wasn't new information to Armin, that was one of the first things he learned. Eren's neck had ugly purple hand marks staining his skin, and Armin had always assumed Mikasa was the same. She fiddled with the ends of the scarf before unwrapping it slowly, "After Eren died... I didn't think anyone was coming to save me... and,"

Her neck was gory and red, it had obviously been sliced open and some bits of flesh still hung off, "I didn't wanna live with my failures..." _Light disappeared from the brunette's eyes. He told her to save him, he told her to fight and she had failed him. Tears blurred her vision, she ignored the thump of a body dropping as shaking hands brought the knife to her neck. One cut, it would just take one cut and, _"I killed myself." Sadness shone in her brown eyes, Armin wished he could hug her, or at least rub her shoulder, "When we awoke, Eren's Dad was there. He was holding Eren's necklace and crying... crying over Eren's body. I felt terrible, I thought I had failed at killing myself," Mikasa started to wrap the scarf around her neck again, "But then Eren walks up, out of no where and starts talking to me. I look down and I see... I see my body. I was dead. I saw Eren's bruises and realization hit me... I started clawing at my neck and.. and"

"Eren gave you his scarf?" Mikasa nodded. She finished wrapping it around her neck, and started on tying the end into a bow. Armin smiled, she might technically be as old as him but Mikasa still kept some childish traits. When she got nervous or upset she would start tying her scarf into different styles. Preoccupied with her task, Mikasa didn't notice Armin studying her. Round cheeks and small hands, she had to be one of the cutest ghosts in existence.

"You never answered my question."

Mikasa looked up from her task, "If I sleep, I relive my last moments. I have to watch Eren die again."

Armin readjusted himself, silently wishing he had never asked. Mikasa continued styling her scarf until dawn.

**..**

Eren hated Jean. Detested, abhorred, loathed, execrated, another synonym for dislike. Armin rubbed his smarting jaw and wished Eren never learned how to possess him. All it took was Jean running his mouth and next thing Armin knew, he was spitting out insults. This ended in most cases with Armin getting punched in the face- hard. Armin himself didn't mind Jean, thought he was an okay guy, but that was dragged down by Eren's intense emotions.

Jean took note of this too. One time he came up and apologized to Armin, but then asked the million dollar question: "I know you don't hate me man, but I gotta wonder. Why do you always act like a different person at dinner?"

God Armin wished he could just say "My (not-so) friendly neighborhood ghost doesn't like you." and leave it at that. But he was stuck again coming up with bullshit excuses.

One time, after a particularly vicious argument, Armin had regained control and apologized. A person towards the back of the room commented on Armin's mental state and promptly got a salt shaker in the side of the head. Sasha jumped up and claimed that Armin was haunted, and the ghosts didn't like Jean. The room burst into laughter and Armin was able to nervously brush it off.

For all the shit they gave Sasha, Armin knew she wasn't joking around. He wasn't certain if she could see his buddies, but she could sure as hell sense them. She would often pause next to Armin and give him (or the necklace) an odd look. Once they had been cleaning the storage shed when she asked Armin if the two of them were alone. He wanted to badly to tell her, but decided against it, laughing her question off. Eren and Mikasa both didn't like her perception of them, and would often complain about it. (Eren being the most vocal) Once during dinner, Sasha unknowingly (or maybe not) got in a staring contest with Eren. After about 5 minutes Connie distracted her and Armin went back to eating as if nothing happened.

**..**

After accepting his death, Eren became more of a problem. He was more vicious to those he believed to be threatening, and he didn't even try to hide his presence anymore. If it was only Mikasa, most people would've thought Armin as being a soft-spoken and lonely boy. But Eren and all his Eren-ways managed to bring attention to not only himself, but everyone around him.

Armin sighed and walked through the clothing store, a couple weeks ago the trio had made a discovery- objects can be ghosted too. That is if ghosted was even an adjective. Eren had learned that if he went and totally fucked something up, if it was truly beyond repair, he could get a copy of it that he could use. So there they were, in a clothing store looking for some new duds. Mikasa was coming along too, but only to keep Eren in line. Eren insisted that they don't bother buying anything, that he just go in and wreck what he wanted, but he was the only one who thought that was a good idea. Mikasa thought it would just get exorcists called on them (God did those even exist?), and Armin would rather not further his haunted reputation. The more superstitious shop owners tended to not accept his service anymore, and Armin would kill Eren again if he got them banned from the local bookshop.

The young boys section didn't have much to offer, but Eren was excited anyways. This was the first bit of fun he got to do in a while (he also got to destroy things - yay!) and he was going to relish it. Mikasa wandered off to the girls section, but Armin figured he wouldn't have to buy much for her. As expected, she returned saying there was only one thing she wanted, and went to help Eren look a new jacket. It didn't even curb Eren's excitement when he was told no on a gold-lined vest, he was so excited to feel alive again.

The cashier gave him an odd look when Armin arrived at the front with a handful of children's clothing, but he laughed it off. Soon, they were out of the store and Eren was rushing them to find a place he could destroy his new clothes in peace. Armin couldn't suppress a giggle when Eren all but tore his clothes up while Mikasa took a leisurely approach. This wasn't exactly the most ideal way to spend his one day of vacation a week, but it was fun to see his friends so happy for once.

Eren froze suddenly and looked up from his work, "Dude, what if we did this to the 3DMG gear?"

Armin groaned; never mind this wasn't fun.

**..**

Eventually Eren stopped trying to get his own 3DMG gear. Seeing as he had to stick close to Armin, there really was no point. He couldn't hold back his frustrations when Mikasa got her own, though. It was large on her, almost comedic, but she worked it well. Mikasa claimed that during battle she would act as back-up, and because she had no obligation to stick near Armin, could be more helpful. A couple sinks in the kitchen exploded when she said this during dinner but Armin chose to ignore it.

Much to her word, she was putting it to good use. She was killing more Titans than men twice her size. The battlefield was so hectic that no one questioned why random Titans were dropping right and left, and for that Mikasa was lucky. Unlike Eren, she didn't like her presence known. She was silent, she was the shadows.

When the colossal titan had attacked for the second time, she sent Eren off with Armin. He promise fervently that he would protect Armin, and kick ass.

"I can't promise it will be in that order though." Che. Cheeky bastard.

Mikasa wasn't worried about them, she still kept her secret wish of Armin's death. But when Armin ran off, a perfect mixture of fear and determination, she realized her wish would probably never be met. More than likely, Armin would die of old age and pass along peacefully, leaving Eren and Mikasa alone. Anger flared in her small body, she jumped and slashed the nape of another Titan. She didn't want him to leave her alone, everyone else but those two had left her. They were a trio, a trio that couldn't be broken.

After her last kill, Mikasa felt tired. She wasn't physically tired- ghosts couldn't feel that- but emotionally she was drained. Watching Armin grow while she stayed was harder than she would ever let on. A female titan ripped a human in half, one she recognized, before disappearing in a cloud of mist. She watched the freckled boy's spirit rise up and dissipate. Envy was all Mikasa could feel, envious that she didn't die in some noble way, that she didn't just pass on and leave this world behind. She closed her eyes, god she was so tired, maybe this time she wouldn't dream.

"Mikasa! Mikasa!" yells ripped said girl from her slumber. She had just gotten to the part when Eren's body dropped lifelessly to the ground and she- never-mind that someone was calling for her. Turning her body, a familiar figure was jumping it's way towards her.

"MIKASA! Mikasa... It's..." Armin was emotional, Mikasa could tell he was holding back tears, "Eren... he..." Armin held out Eren's necklace. It gleamed beautifully in the sun, "I have his necklace but he... he... he isn't..." Armin was crying now.

Fear bubbled in her heart, but she kept it pressed down, "Armin, Armin what happened?"

Armin was sobbing, snot was trailing from his nose as he tried explaining, "I w-was about to g-get eaten a-and Eren h-he jumped i-in a-a-and," Armin's voice cracked as he let out an ugly sob, "h-he exploded! M-Mikasa I don't know w-what to d-do he w-won't come w-when called. He dis-disappeared and..."

Mikasa stood up, tall and proud (and sad and crushed and oh god Eren _no_), "He must've moved on. We have to keep fighting- for him." Their eyes met, Armin nodded with a sudden burst of strength. Mikasa needed to keep her strength, keep them both safe. Armin could never know of the hurt she felt, as if all her fears and insecurities were exploding in her face.

**..**

Titans were falling lifelessly at his feet. He felt strong- worthy- impregnable. These were emotions he could drown in, forget himself if he wasn't careful. Eren was being everything but careful, all he focused on was killing, tearing, destroying. It was the only thing he was good for.

But when he saw his sister, he froze. "guhhh..." he groaned, reaching a large hand towards her. He wasn't sure when his hands had gotten so big but it filled him with such _power_ that he didn't mind.

The black-haired girl nodded and jumped from rooftop to rooftop, searching for someone.

**..**

Armin stood next to Connie and marveled at the sight. A Titan was killing other Titans, it was _protecting_ the humans.

"God isn't that something" Connie said quietly, almost to himself. Armin could only nod stupidly in responce.

And the Mikasa in all her glory jumped onto the roof, looking almost pleased.

"M-Mikasa?!" Connie gave Armin a strange look at this, but said nothing else.

"The Titan. It's Eren."

Armin wasted no time jumping onto it's back.

**..**

Okay, maybe riding Eren as he kicked some ass wasn't the smartest thing to do. It had certainly drawn attention to him if nothing else. Now, with guns pointed at him and questions being screamed that he couldn't answer, Armin lamented his mistakes.

Eren had learned how to possess Titans. That meant Titans were human, or at least some part of them was. This was giant, this could change the course of man- but only if he was given the chance to tell them. Armin was trying to explain is innocence. Trying being the key word here, Eren certainly wasn't helping by exploding every goddamn gun in sight. Mikasa just stood protectively in front of Armin, ready to strike.

Armin looked at Eren, then at the giant wall. That's when an idea hit him.

"If you take the guns off of me I can get one of them to close the hole!"

Stunned faces dropped the guns and Eren looked back at him smirking- challenge accepted.

**..**

Once again Armin was musing his mistakes, he shouldn't have announced out-loud that he could influence Titan behavior. Well technically he couldn't, he could influence the _ghost_ who could influence Titan behavior. Nonetheless, he had still been labeled a danger and shoved into a prison cell. Apparently it was more believable that Armin could talk to Titans than ghosts.

Mikasa was growling, causing Armin's skin to break out in goosebumps and the shackles to rattle. Eren's necklace had been taken from him while he slept. And the culprit, well he was standing outside Armin's cell looking quite displeased.

"Eren won't like it if he comes out and I don't have the necklace."

Corporal Levi snorted, "I don't give a shit what he does or doesn't like. Wanna explain why you have two shitty dead brats following you?"

"They're my friends!"

"Kid, most people make friends with alive people. Now give me the real reason."

"I'm telling the truth! Eren, he's Grisha Jägers son and when his Dad..." Armin paused, looking back on the memory Grisha definitely saw his son, "...moved he left the necklace behind. I picked it up and"

"Befriended some dead brats. Want to tell me why this certain one can possess Titans?"

"Sir, I think Titans might be human." Levi's eyes widened, then narrowed in disbelief, "Sir I'm being serious! What else could explain it?"

The Corporal shifted, before throwing the necklace back in the cell. Armin sighed and started tying it around his neck.

"I'll get you out of this, but only if you and your brats join the scouting legion." Armin nodded, but before he could question Levi clarified, "I heard rumors of Titans falling with no discernible cause. I know it was your shitty friend here," He motioned towards Mikasa, "and having an instant Titan would be quite helpful."

The two of them locked eyes, "Yes sir!" Armin polished this off with a picture perfect salute. Mikasa copied him but with much less vigor. Levi allowed himself a small smile.


End file.
